


To Build A Family

by LittleWolf95



Category: Maleficent (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Families of Choice, Gen, Or rather rewrite this, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Unconventional Families, Why Did I Write This?, originally written in 2014
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-23 12:36:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23711617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleWolf95/pseuds/LittleWolf95
Summary: (Human AU) Maleficent gets the shock of her life when a thirteen year old girl shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her goddaughter. Can Maleficent let go of the past in order to come to care for Aurora or will this just leave two fragile souls in tatters?
Relationships: Aurora/Phillip (Disney), Diaval/Maleficent (Disney)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a rewrite of something i had written when I was around 18 or 19 and just starting to post fanfiction online.
> 
> The original was a train wreck so...out of boredom i decided to try to rewrite it.
> 
> Also usual disclaimer: I own nothing and make no money from this. All characters belong to Disney.
> 
> this was written for fun because I'm stuck at home during this pandemic.

She had known that Stefan was heartless and lacked common human decency but never in a thousand years did she expect for him to do something like this.

No, She didn't expect for some random teenager to end up on her doorstep claiming to be her goddaughter.

Who even thought that would be a good idea?

Firstly, she had no idea how to care for a child and secondly she was in no condition to keep up with one.

Especially not the spawn of Satan incarnated.

However, she also wasn't the kind to kick a literal child into the street so instead she left the girl in a spare room to unpack before locking herself into her own room to try to process all of this.

And try to figure out how she was going to survive the summer with the girl underfoot.

After all, once school started it wouldn't be so bad as the girl could be encouraged to join after school programs.

Cursing under her breath Maleficent leaned back into the chair, closing her eyes as she tried to count backward from one thousand.

She wasn't sure how long she had sat there when she heard a faint knock cone at her doorframe, causing her to look up

"Um...Godmother? My aunts told me to give you this."

Aurora held out a (obviously aged) orange envelope, causing Maleficent to sigh once again.

"Well bring it here, I'm not going to bite, you know."

The girl sent her a sheepish grin before walking over to her.

"Thank you. Now, while I try to make sense of all of this why don't you go explore the place?"

Maleficent hoped that the request wasn't harsh or rude because in all honesty, she just wanted to read whatever the papers were without worrying about making the girl feel even more unwelcome than she most likely already did.

"Yes ma'am."

The response caused Maleficent to arch a brow because while she was glad the girl at least was polite, being called ma'am just rubbed her the wrong way.

"And stop being so formal, you're not in trouble. Maleficent will do."

She added although Aurora just sent her a quizzical look.

" What about calling you Godmother?"

Maleficent bit back another sigh.

"Yes, that is alright, I suppose."

Once her self proclaimed ward had left the room, Maleficent opened up the envelope, only to find exactly the info she was wanting and to her surprise it wasn't Stefan who had he wicked sense of humor but Leia, his wife.

The wife that had died shortly after Aurora's fourth birthday.

The revelation caused her to swear loudly (and hope Aurora was far enough away that she didn't hear).

"Leila, you have really tied my hands. Why in the world did you think that I would make a good guardian?" She said aloud before pushing herself to her feet using her cane

I know nothing about kids. I may have wanted one at one point but that doesn't mean I do now.

she thought as she set out to find her new charge.


	2. Chapter 2

Aurora knew she had to try to make the best of the situation, even if her Aunties had been right about her godmother, although she didn't seem that bad.

Just a little irritated and rough around the edges, but not nearly as harsh or cruel as her Aunties had warned her about.

even if the house seemed to be nearly as formal as the woman herself.

the walls were bare, save for shelves of books and glass figures and everything seemed to be painted the same, dull cream color.

why didn't she have any pictures?

Did she not have any friends?

The thought hurt Aurora more than anything, after all, no one deserved to be totally alone.

️

* * *

Maleficent sighed as she debated on where to go from there. She knew next to nothing about children and she most certainly wasn't the one who was good with words (as any of her friends could attest to) but Aurora probably had questions and was as deserving of answers as anyone.

However, before she had time to track the girl down, the doorbell sounded.

 _Great_ ,

she thought

_More people. That is all I need right now._

She wasn't at all surprised when she found the door already opened and a dark haired man standing in her sitting room.

"Do tell me you're not here to tell me I have any more legal responsibilities than I currently do. " she deadpanned, earning a smirk.

" so it's true about the child? "

 _nosy man_.

"Yes and her name is Aurora, she is fourteen and looks identical to Leia." she listed in response, watching as his smirk grew

" and you need help."

she really wanted to argue with him, to tell him that she didn't need his help this time but in all honesty he seemed to know more about kids than she did, after all, his family was huge.

"Don't be ridiculous. She's a teenager, not a toddler. How hard could it be?" She said in spite of herself before rolling her eyes and adding

"Fine, I admit it. I have no idea what I am doing."


	3. Chapter 3

Maleficent sighed as she rubbed at her temples and waited for him to finish reading the letter.

Her back hurt, she felt a headache coming on and from the sounds of the creaking staircase, they were currently being spied on.

"Any advice?"

she managed to get out without saying too much of anything in the girl's presence, after all, she had just lost her father.

"Well my advice is: Don't pull a Stefan. Evidently that man was unsettled by something. "

she could practically hear the air qoutes around the word something, although she just glared.

"Thank you Diaval for those wise words, I did not have even the slightest bit of knowledge of that. "

she retorted before straightening herself to the best of her ability before getting up and carefully (so the floor didn't creak) made her way to the foot of the stairs, her theory about the creaking proving correct as she found the girl leaned against the wall, just out of sight.

"Curious little beast, aren't you? Come on then, come introduce yourself besides sneaking around like a mouse." she said, allowing herself a slight grin since the girl a least had the decency to look sheepish.

Once Aurora had came down and stood beside Maleficent, she offered the girl a light smile, motioning toward the man who was now standing a way off

"Diaval, this is Aurora. Aurora, Diaval lives next door so expect to see him about." She stated, watching how easily that the man seemed to be able to engage the girl in conversation.

She took that as a reprieve to try to distance herself from her thoughts.

She didn't want the girl but at the same time it was obvious by her demeanour that she was rather a sweet person and like it or not, Maleficent really didn't have the heart to risk the girl becoming upset.

not after everything that she had been through in the past few days.

"Godmother?"

Maleficent had been so lost in thought that she hadn't heard anyone enter the room.

"what is it?"

"Are you angry with me?"

The question was innocent enough but the tone suggested that at some point, the girl had come to fear someone's anger.

"Of course not. I just needed some time to process my thoughts."

The answer was honest enough, after all, the girl had only been curious and who had never eavesdropped on a conversation about themselves?

Maybe I can get her to move in with Diaval, he would love having her there.

she thought, although when she glanced back over at the girl the thought left a bitter feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Go entertain our guest, I'll be back in there momentarily."

Once she was again alone, Maleficent swore under her breath.

She was not the person to raise children, She was in no physical or mental health for the task either.

No, she should have the child live with Diaval. That much was obvious because she was not good with her own emotional health.

So why wait? Why not just tell the girl to go with him that night? she couldn't have unpacked yet.

And Maleficent prepared to say just that when she walked back into the room the pair preoccupied, only to falter with she heard the laughter.

She couldn't go through with it.

"Hopefully you're not putting her up to some sort of mischief." she commented, arching a brow at Diaval, who just smirked.

" Of course not, although I was telling her about that time you tried to drown me. "

Maleficent couldn't help but roll her eyes at that.

" Oh stop being dramatic, it barely reached your waist and you can swim perfectly well Besides, you splashed me. pretty sure you asked for it. "


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure that you can't take her? You were so good with her tonight and I didn't even want kids. "

Maleficent half whispered that night while sitting in her back garden, earning a sigh from Diaval who just glanced toward the house.

"Oh and what will that tell her? Mother dead, father practically non-existent and then she gets shuttled off again to someone she's never met. It's just going to cement the idea that something is wrong with her."

He practically ranted, keeping his voice low so the girl in question wouldn't overhear.

"At least give the girl a chance, she seems really sweet. "

Closing her eyes Maleficent mentally wished that she could make it so he couldn't state his mind, especially when he started sounding like a moral compass.

"She's the spawn of hell's daughter. nothing about her will be sweet, give it enough time."

She didn't bother to look up, though she didn't need to in order to hear the sound that came from Diaval.

"She isn't Stefan, Maleficent. Are you really going to blame a child who wasn't even born yet for the faults of her father?"

️

* * *

Aurora couldn't sleep, her mind whirling with the things she had overheard her aunts say about the woman, whose house she now lay in.

she is emotionless and cruel, short tempered, bitter, incapable of love.

They had said, although that couldn't be true, could it?

after all, Maleficent hadn't become angry with her at any point during the evening and she had sort of joked around with Diaval.

That was proof enough, right?

Closing her eyes she tried to imagine Maleficent ranting and raving like her father would have, though she found it difficult.

no, from just first impressions Maleficent was elegant and well spoken. Yes, she was formal and hard to read but she gave off a calmer demeanour.

She didn't seem the type to shout and slam things, no, she was probably the type to have a silent kind of anger or at least depending on the severity of it.

These thoughts seemed to consume her, keeping her awake for long after Maleficent had gone to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

it took every inch of self control for Maleficent not to throw her alarm clock at the wall when it went off at six am the following morning.

Why had she forgotten to turn it off the previous night?

she wondered to herself as she slowly got out of bed, wincing at the sight of her reflection across the room.

Well, at least the girl wouldn't see her in such an unkept state.

"Good Morning Godmother."

Aurora called when she finally awoke a few hours later, slightly catching Maleficent off guard with her cheerfulness.

How could someone be so energetic that early in the day?

"you're awfully cheerful this morning." she responded before adding: "breakfast is on the stove."

Breakfast was a rather quiet affair, at least until Aurora spoke up.

"Do you need any help? Cleaning I mean?"

Maleficent wasn't sure how to respond to that since experience told her that it was always prompted by pity, even though the girl did seem sincere.

"No, I don't need help but do what you want. I am in no mood to argue this morning."

she eventually replied, taking note of the amusement on the girl's face at her choice of words.

"I wouldn't argue. If you said no then that is that."

Maleficent wasn't so sure she believed that statement, after all, this was the daughter of Leila and Stefan and those two were notoriously stubborn.

Maleficent tried not to feel too annoyed by how Aurora seemed to take it upon herself to do most of the work, after all, there was little worse than being pitied and it seemed Aurora was going that route.

However, despite this whole situation irking her she found it nearly impossible to be upset with the girl.

"Godmother, last night you said you knew my parents. what was my mom like?"

Maleficent knew that Aurora would have questions but the suddenly of it still caught her by surprise.

"your mother was a lot of things. Stubborn, honest, kind." she answered after several minutes, trying to ignore the fact that the girl seemed to be hanging on to ever word.

How could she talk about Leila without talking about Stefan? What exactly did the girl want to know?

"She was graceful and well spoken although she was a bit too naive at times." she continued, "don't you remember her at all?"

"Kind of but it's fuzzy, like trying to remember a dream and my father never really would talk about her and my aunties didn't know her that well."

Maleficent found herself at a loss there, especially when she noticed how the girl's eyes seemed to be glossing over.

Maleficent didn't even realize what she was doing until she put a hand on the girl's arm.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me. I didn't even know her and..."

Maleficent just sighed.

"it's alright. You mourn what could have been... especially with everything that has happened these last few days but for now, let's change the subject."

was she doing this right?

Maleficent wasn't sure in the slightest but she also knew that she didn't want to see the girl upset.


	7. Chapter 7

Way to go with the first impressions Aurora.

Aurora berated herself as she finished up the dishes. The silence was deafening and Aurora was almost certain that Maleficent was ignoring her now.

"I usually take a walk at this time every day. Would you like to join me?"

the offer caught the girl by surprise.

Maybe she hadn't made a total fool out of herself.

* * *

"May I ask something?"

they had been walking in silence for some time which had given Aurora's mind time to wonder.

"Yes "

The reply was simple but Aurora was starting to get the feeling that her Godmother was just straight to the point.

"How do you and my aunts know each other? When they got called about the note they said some things and..."

She trailed off, unsure how to even word herself.

"Deficient things, I'm sure."

Maleficent responded and although Aurora couldn't be for certain, she thought she saw the woman smile slightly.

"They lived near me when I was younger."

Maleficent's response only half answered the questions that she had.

"that doesn't explain the horrible things they said about you."

no sooner did the words come out of her mouth that she mentally cursed herself.

"Sorry, that was rude wasn't it?"

she was surprised when she felt a featherlight touch brush across her shoulder.

"No, and as for your question, they are nosey and I didn't appreciate it."

Aurora wondered if maybe that was a jab at her for asking so many questions that morning.

"Oh don't look so contrite. You didn't offend me, honestly, I would have been more surprised if they didn't gossip. That is all those ninnies were fit for anyway. Now enough about me, tell me something about yourself."

Aurora looked up then, trying to find any sign of irritation in her Godmother's features, finding nothing.

️

Maleficent wasn't one who usually felt uncertain in what she was doing but that whole morning seemed to just leave her as pathetic as a fish out of water.

_Why did she agree to this again? Why had she invited the girl along? She would be much better off with Diaval or even the trio of idiots._

Maleficent got so lost in thought that she had tuned out Aurora's chatter without fully meaning to.

That was until the girl laughed.

"I am sure I drove my aunties completely mental at times."

Maleficent couldn't help but chuckle in response to that.

"I recall that it does not take much to do that." she stated, trying to ignore the girl's smile.

"Godmother!"

Maleficent just brushed past her, fighting a smirk at the half–laughed rebuke.

"What? It's true."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I swear I don't hate Aurora despite the stuff I put her through in this….and don't worry, Maleficent does warm up to her fairly quickly, she's just really misreading the situation in this chapter.

Pity.

That's all this was, Maleficent knew. Pity for the woman so broken that she could barely stand without assistance from crutch or cane. 

Pity for the fool who had dared to trust anyone.

  
  


Maleficent couldn't stop the anger she felt bubbling up inside of herself as Aurora made herself busy with wiping down the table.

Sure, Aurora had insisted under the disguise that she knew Maleficent was tired but that couldn't be it. 

No, no one was just nice for the sake of it.

Except perhaps Diaval.

  
  


"Godmother?"

The voice jolted Maleficent from her thoughts.

"What now?"

She instantly regretted her words as the girl took a step back. 

When had she gotten that close?

"Sorry, it's just you seemed to be in a daze." 

Aurora's voice had dropped somewhat, not quite a whisper but softer than normal.

Shy, even.

Maleficent sighed at that, feeling her annoyance lessen slightly.

"It's alright. I am just tired Beastie." 

The nickname came out without thinking, watching as the girl's expression changed, though she didn't say anything else.

"Why don't you go entertain yourself for a while? Diaval should be home, perhaps you can convince him to do something with you." 

  
  


Once Aurora was gone Maleficent sighed, closing her eyes.

If people wanted to see her as weak, they could. However, she was not going to deal with that in her own house and especially not from a child.

  
  
  
  



End file.
